Raven's Rules for Sorcery v 1.1

[Raven Blackwell]

Life and Nature Basic Spells

Call Animal
Power Point Cost: 1 or 2
Casting Time: One minute
Range: Far [One mile/level of Scholar]
Target: One Small or Medium Animal or Vermin
Duration: One hour/level of Scholar
Saving Throw: Special
Perquisites: Four ranks Knowledge (nature)
Magic Success Roll: DC 10

This spell releases a magical call for a particular non-magical Animal or Vermin type creature desired by the caster. The caster must determine the animal type desired and then cast the spell. Casting the spell cost one magic point for a Small sized creature and 2 for a Medium sized creature. If spell’s initial Magic Success roll succeeds and the animal exists within the range of the spell, the nearest creature hears the call. If the caster is a Priest or Priestess of a Power of Nature [such as Jhebbal Sag or Ishtar in her role as a goddess of Fertility], the animal will choose to come. Otherwise the caster must make an additional Magic Success check against the target creature’s Will save to compel the creature to come.

The creature if successfully called will move to the caster at its swiftest speed. Once it arrives, it will follow the caster’s commands to the best of its ability, including attacking other creatures, though complicated orders are likely too much for the animal to comprehend. If the animal did not come voluntarily to the caster’s call and is wounded in the caster’s service, the caster must make a Magic Success Roll equal to DC of 10 + ½ the damage taken by the animal or the creature will break the spell’s effect and flee. Once the spell duration ends, the animal is free to act on its own will. Most times the animal will choose to depart unless badly mistreated by the caster, in which case it may choose to attack the caster.

Healing, minor
Power Point Cost: 1
Casting Time: One minute
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant
Saving Throw: None
Perquisites: Two ranks Heal, Two ranks Knowledge (arcana)
Magic Success Roll: Dc 5

A common spell known by herbwives, shamans and healer everywhere in the Hyborian age, minor healing is a spell designed to boost a body’s natural ability to heal itself. If cast successfully in conjunction with a Heal skill check [The caster’s or another’s], the healer gains a +8 bonus to the check.

 

[Raven Blackwell]

That's all for now. Pm me if you want the orginial text file sent to you via e-mail. As I adapt more rules, Feats and spells I'll post them.

Now onto Deep Ones......8)

Raven, who'd like to point out before the flames that you are all getting this for free. Also standard personal copyright applies. Publish it as your own w/o consulting me and get your own personal Death Curse- to be described later. 8)

 

[Raven Blackwell]

Okay, this is getting ridiculous. It almost seems you are doing this to gather some type of revenge. Or, increase your post count?

:lol: My post count and revenge on anyone on this forum? I think you overestimate your importance in the scheme of things as far as I am concerned. The way I set it up was topic by topic, breaking it down into small units. I have a life and family, so this forum and all in it are little more than footnote in my interests.

Why couldn't you put this in a more readable format?

Think of it like chapters in a book. You do read books right?

Raven

 

[slaughterj]

Interesting stuff! Looking forward to reading the doc.

 

[LokiOne]

Well Done Raven .... Look forward to seeing some more. I hope that some of my meager postings have/may become useful inspiration.

EG: 'Reverse' Draw Forth the Soul ... as in the saving of Conan from Death and the Spirits, where Valeria 'Pays the Gods' (RF: For his life).
I think I posted some proposed rules for this earlier in the forum.

I played this kind of scenario out with a dying/cursed PC. A very well liked and useful NPC of Ibis made her 'Pay the Gods' contribution - bursting into magical flame, rather like a Phoenix when the PC was saved and restored.

I like writing new rules stuff too, especially for Sorcery. Keep it coming !!!

Cheers mate ...

 

[Raven Blackwell]

The two spheres used mostly by my party are Death/Destruction and Elemental/Forces, so that's what I'll be posting next. I plan to round out a bit later this winter [summer to some of you 8)] when I have the time.

Death/Destruction first.

Raven

 

[Raven Blackwell]

Revised Spell

Raise Corpse, lesser [Advanced Spell of the Death and Destruction Sphere]

Power Point Cost: 1
Casting Time: One full round
Range: Close [25 ft +5 ft/level Scholar]
Duration: One hour/level scholar
Saving Throw: Special
Perquisites Knowledge of one Basic Spell from the Death and Destruction Sphere, six ranks of Knowledge (arcana) or two ranks Knowledge (undead) and a Magic Attack Bonus of +1 or higher
Magic Attack Roll: DC 10 and special

This spell summons a small Entropic spirit to posses and animate a Medium sized or smaller corpse. If the initial magic attack roll succeeds, the caster then must make another against the summoned spirit’s Will save [usually +3]. If the caster succeeds, the spirit is bound to its will and will use the body it possesses in whatever manner the caster commands to the duration of the spell. The animated corpse has the statistics of a ‘Risen Dead’ from the Bestiary. Note that the spirit can only fulfill simple commands such as ‘attack anyone but me who enters this room’ or ‘pick this up and follow me’. More complicated orders will confuse it and likely cause the spirit to perform no action. The sorcerer can also dismiss the spirit at any time, ending spell prematurely and causing the corpse to revert back to its unliving state.

Should the spirit will the resisted roll though, it can either depart immediately, or if angered, animate the provided corpse and attack the caster. A botch in the sorcerer’s roll means that the caster summoned a spirit other than the one associated with this spell. In this case, the spirit is not bound by the caster’s will and its motivations and action are left to the GM….

 

[Raven Blackwell]

New Spell

Destroy Undead [Advanced Spell]

Power Point Cost: 2
Casting Time: One full round
Range: Close [25 ft + 5 ft/level Scholar]
Duration: Instant
Saving Throw: Fortitude
Perquisites: Five ranks of Knowledege (arcana) or three ranks Knowledge (undead), magic attack bonus +2 or greater
Magic Attack: Sets target’s Fortitude DC

This spell, learned by many magicians to put down unnatural creatures [and a few necromancers to help put down unsuccessful experiments] attempt to destroy the energies animating a undead creature. The sorcerer picks a single visible [by sight or spell] target and rolls his magic attack bonus. The target rolls their Fortitude save. If the target fails their check, they receive 5d6 points of Primal damage [i.e ignores DR] as the spell attacks the unnatural energies that extend their existence and it is stunned for 1 round. A successful save by the target means that it receives merely 1d6 points of damage and is not stunned. An undead destroyed in this manner is reduced to dust and cannot be reanimated in any way. Ghosts and other spectral entites however may rejuvenate at a later date if their focus for remaining in the material realm is still intaact though.

This spell has no effect on the living or Outsiders.

 

[Raven Blackwell]

Control Undead [Advanced Spell of the Death and Destruction Sphere]

Power Point Cost: 4
Casting Time: One full round
Range: Close [25 ft + 5 ft/level Scholar]
Duration: One hour/level Scholar
Saving Throw: Willpower
Perquisites: Raise Corpse, six ranks Knowledge (arcana) or four ranks Knowledge (undead), magic attack bonus +3 or greater
Magic Attack Bonus: Sets target’s Willpower Save DC

This spell attempt to bind an Undead type of creature of Medium size or less to the caster’s will. The caster targets a single visible [by sight or spell] such creature and rolls his magic attack bonus. If the target is an unintelligent undead and controlled, its current controller makes their own magic attack roll to set the DC of the magic attack roll. An uncontrolled unitelligent undead sets the DC of the spell to 7+HD of theundead. If an intelligent self-willed undead is the target, it gets a Willpower save instead.

If the caster is successful, he gains control of the creature for the duration of the spell and it will perform the commands of its controller for the duration of the spell, it is destroyed or the caster is killed or voluntarily releases it. Note that intelligent undead may choose to interpret commands given to them somewhat differently than the caster intended them if the caster is not wary….

 

[Raven Blackwell]

Desiccating Touch [Advanced Spell of the Death and Destruction Sphere]

Power Point Cost: 2
Casting Time: One standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One living creature
Duration: Instant
Saving Throw: Fortitude
Perquisites: Chilling Touch, four ranks of Heal and Knowledge (arcana), Magic Attack bonus +2
Magic Success Roll: Set’s target’s Fortitude DC

This spell causes unnatural withering and decay in a living creature. The caster must first make a successful melee touch attack against their target. If succesful, they make a magical attack roll, resisted by the target’s Fortitude save. If the caster is successful, the caster inflicts 5d6 points of Primal damage [i.e. ignores armor] on their target as its living tissues rot and decay from the caster’s power. Otherwise, the target resists the spell’s effects but is stunned [-2 for all attack rolls, saving throws and skill checks] for one round.

Note that this spell has no effect on Undead or Outsiders.

 

[Raven Blackwell]

New Spell

Raise Undead Horde [Advanced Spell of the Death and Destruction Sphere]

Power Point Cost: 1/animated corpse
Casting Time: One full round
Range: Close [25 ft + 5 ft/level Scholar]
Duration: One hour/level Scholar
Saving Throw: Special
Perquisites: Raise Corpse; magic attack bonus +4
Magic Attack Roll: 10 +2/every corpse animated above the first.

Identical to Raise Corpse, save that any amount of corpses may be animated. When animated, the spirits animating the corpses make a collective Will save of +3 against the caster’s magic attack bonus, with a bonus of +1 to their roll each time the number of undead is doubled beyond the first. So thus +2 if 2 corpses are animated, +3 if 4 are animated, +4 if 8 animated, etc. If the casters wins the opposed roll, the undead are his to command. If the spirits win the roll, they may simply leave [which causes the spell to simply fail] or use the provided bodies to use at their discretion. If the sorcerer’s botches his magic attack roll, spirits other than the ones desired arrive and act in the manner the GM deems appropriate.

 

[Raven Blackwell]

New Spell

Breath of Water [Advanced Spell of the Elements and Forces Sphere]

Power Point Cost: 2
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Self or Touch
Target: One person
Duration: One hour/level
Saving Throw: N/A
Perquisites: One basic spell of the Elemental Sphere, four ranks of Knowledge (arcana) or Heal, Magic Attack Bonus +1 or greater
Magic Attack Roll: DC 10

Breath of water spell allows a air-breathing creature the ability to breath water as easily as air for the duration of the spell. Note that the spell does not confer resistance to the temperatures and pressures that can be found in water. Neither does it provide movement of any sort- the affected creature must swim normally if they have no access to another form of movement. The character must also make the hourly Fortitude check against fatigue when swimming as normal.

 

[Raven Blackwell]

New Spell

Telekinesis, Minor [Advanced Elemental and Forces Spell]

Power Point Cost: 1
Casting Time: One full round
Range: Close [25 ft + 5 ft/level of Scholar]
Target: One object, 5 pounds or less.
Duration: One minute/level of Scholar
Saving Throw: None
Perquisites: One basic spell of the Elemental Sphere, four ranks Sleight of Hand, Magic Attack bonus +1
Magic Attack Roll: DC 10 or special

Telekinesis, minor is a power used by a sorcerer to levitate a small object by manipulating the forces about them. Such an object can be of any type, even living, so long as it doesn’t exceed the maximum weight allowed and is visible to the caster by sight or spell and in this spell’s maximum allowable range. The object’s speed can never exceed 10 ft/round. The caster may manipulate any number of objects during the course of the spell, but can manipulate one object at a time.

The spell can also be used to manipulate levels, switch, doorknobs, lids and other such things. If the targeted object is grasped by another creature, the caster must make a magic attack roll opposed by the creature’s grapple check. If successful, the caster has snatched the from the resisting creature’s grasp. If failed, the creature retains control of the item grasped.

The spell can be used to animate a light weapon to attack a target. The caster uses their magical attack bonus and does damage appropriate to the item plus the caster's Charisma bonus. The caster's control of the object is too crude to allow the use of finesse fighting unless they already possesses the Ranged Finesse Feat.

 

[Raven Blackwell]

New Spell

Elemental Touch [Advanced Spell of the Element and Forces Sphere]

Power Point Cost: 2 Points
Casting Time: One standard action
Range: Touch
Duration: Instant
Saving Throw: Reflex
Perquisites: Witchfire; four ranks of Knowledge (arcana), Magical Attack Bonus +1 or higher
Magic Attack Roll: Sets target’s Reflex Save

This relatively common spell summons a small amount a elemental energy [fire is the most common, though corrosive, lightning and ice are possible] into the caster's hand. The caster first must make a successful touch attack on their target. If successful, the target takes 4d6 points of Primal [i.e. ignores non-magical and non-natural DR] elemental damage. Otherwise the energy dissapates at the end of the current round and the Power Points consumed by the spell are lost. If struck, the target may make a Reflex save with the DC set by the casters magical attack roll for half damage.

This spell affects creatures that can only be harmed by silver weapons or fire.

 

[InsomNY]

No commentary on the spells themselves, other than that it's nice to see somebody putting some work into Conan sorcery.

For Minor Telekinesis, though, you've converted your measurements backwards. 1 kg = about 2.205 lbs. so 10kg should be 22 pounds, not 5; you might want to edit the post to reflect the amount of weight/mass you want to affect.

InsomNY, former Hero System player

 

[LokiOne]

Thanks for the new Sorceries Raven. Do they fit into the Death and Destruction spheres ? I haven't viewed the catagories yet ...

I am still interested in seeing some more Sorceries from Mongoose as well, as I feel that the current lists are still a little limited. Or - am I just a spoilt Sorceror myself?

Maybe a Sorcery Compendium, collating all the scattered spells, plus a whole lotta new ones? I tend to play magic wheilders as a player in RPG's.

Playing a Conan Sorceror reminds Me of playing an evil Force user in Star Wars .... Sooner or later - you lose your Character to the GM's NPC file ... Corruption Points and Dark Side points - very similar in effect (!).

 

[Raven Blackwell]

Thanks for the new Sorceries Raven. Do they fit into the Death and Destruction spheres ? I haven't viewed the catagories yet ...

Death/Destruction and Elemental Forces. I guess I didn't make the category headings on the spells obvious enough. I went back and edited the posts to make it more obvious where I stop posting D/D spells and start posting E/F spells. Next time I'll post on each spell what Sphere it belongs to.

I am still interested in seeing some more Sorceries from Mongoose as well, as I feel that the current lists are still a little limited. Or - am I just a spoilt Sorceror myself?

[snip]

Playing a Conan Sorceror reminds Me of playing an evil Force user in Star Wars .... Sooner or later - you lose your Character to the GM's NPC file ... Corruption Points and Dark Side points - very similar in effect (!).

I think Mongoose is bound by REH's perception of magic as 'evil' if they want to remain canon- thus I have little hope for magic getting a better rap as it were. So I invented my own rules at the table to give it a more 'neutral' feel. I however wanted to avoid the Tolkien feel of things- that magic is 'good'. To me magic is the personification of natural forces- it'll kill you as soon as save you. The weak are consumed by it, the strong become stronger. Also those who use it too often will find themselves sooner or later betrayed by it. Magic is a fickle mistress- she demands that no other thing even replace her in your heart. 8)

Raven

 

[slaughterj]

Wasn't there going to be a file made available of this?

 

[LokiOne]

Ditto Raven ... It's the GM's job to place Temptation into the path of all PC's - be it power, glory or base treasure.

I like the option to have a 'benevolent' PC shaman/ priest dabbler or whatever ... The GM can start them off with a nice selection of a few beneficial spells and skills .... then the call of Corruption can start - rather like trying to lure a jedi-like character over to the Dark.

'Redemption' for Corruption Points would be good, otherwise it becomes a 'short-lived (Scholar) Character, with a quickly growing tally. Some scope for Questing there.

 

[Raven Blackwell]

Wasn't there going to be a file made available of this?

Yes, I am finishing adding the new info to the file today. Pm me an e-mail address to send it to and I'll send it today or tomorrow.

Raven